


Demolition Lovers (Frerard)

by asotmGee



Category: Fall Out Boy, Mindless Self Indulgence (Band), My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, The Used
Genre: Abuse, Anorexia, Character Death, Dementia, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mental Health Issues, School Shootings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-09-26 02:05:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20381878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asotmGee/pseuds/asotmGee
Summary: Frank and Gerard Way have been happily married for nearly five years now, and Frank cherishes all the good memories he's had with his husband he met back in high school years ago. However, tragedy struck for the couple when Gerard was diagnosed with early onset dementia when he was barely in his twenties. As time went by, Gerard's condition grew worse, and Gerard's parents and Frank decided to put him in a nursing home, believing that he will be put in good hands. One day while Frank visits Gerard, he comes up with a great idea. He decides to tell Gerard the long yet fascinating story of how they came to be, starting from the very beginning.WARNING: THIS FIC HAS CONTENT THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND UPSETTING/DISTURBING. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic is gonna be pretty long...like, really long. Probably the longest (and likely one of the saddest) fics I'll ever write, most likely longer than The Light Behind His Eyes. I am warning all of you that want to read this...if you're REALLY sensitive to upsetting content, DO NOT, and I repeat, PLEASE DO NOT read this fic. There will be a lot of fucked up shit in it. But if you're okay with all of that, then proceed...

Frank Iero drove his car into the parking lot of Cadbury Springs, the nursing home that his husband Gerard has been living in for two years so far. It was a difficult decision for Gerard's family to put him in such a place, but due to the rapid decline of Gerard's condition, his mom and dad decided that that was the best option, since caring for their son has become too much for them. It saddened both Gerard's family and Frank that Gerard had to be put in a nursing home at such a young age; he's only twenty-six years old, soon to be twenty-seven in April, which is next month.  
About four years ago, a year after Gerard and Frank got married, Gerard began to exhibit very strange behavior. He became very forgetful for some odd reason. It started out with small things such as forgetting where he put his keys, but it all eventually escalated to serious things such as constantly asking what day it is, and even forgetting how to tie his shoes. Frank knew in the back of his mind that something was terribly wrong with the love of his life, so he took Gerard to see a handful of doctors to figure out what's causing Gerard to be so absent-minded.  
When Gerard and Frank first met back in high school, Frank soon learned that Gerard had a very high libido. He had one night stands almost every night with several different people, all of them being men since Gerard never found himself sexually attracted to women. When one of Gerard's doctors asked about Gerard's habits he's had over the years, Frank brought up Gerard's sex addiction he had back when he was a teenager. The doctor said that it could be possible that Gerard has AIDS dementia, much to Frank's horror. He found it hard to believe that Gerard could have something so devastating as AIDS, but knew in the back of his mind that it actually was a possibility, due to Gerard's old and promiscuous lifestyle. Gerard was soon tested for HIV at a hospital, and the results came back positive, making Frank feel like his whole world was ending. Gerard, of course, did not understand what it meant to be diagnosed with something as horrible as HIV positive, and was very confused as to why Frank was so distraught. Frank didn't know how to tell Gerard in simple words that he had a terminal illness. Frank decided to just tell Gerard that he's sick, and that he will be taken care of and brought back to good health. However, this was far from true. While Gerard did get treatment for his HIV through taking prescription medication, his state of mind grew worse over the years to the point where he could no longer take care of himself. When Frank realized that he could no longer care for his confused husband, he sent Gerard to live with his parents, who took care of him until they couldn't anymore, due to their own personal dilemmas such as medical issues and stress from taking care of their vulnerable son. After Gerard's mom and dad did extensive searching for a good nursing home, they finally found one in Newark that was affordable to put Gerard in, called Cadbury Springs. Frank knew Gerard's parents picked the right place for Gerard; the facility itself was nice, being a four story building with a big courtyard, a hair salon, and much more. The staff is also really kind and helpful, and Frank knew that they were all doing a good job of taking care of his husband.  
Today was the day that Frank sees Gerard. Every Sunday morning, Frank would drive to Cadbury Springs to see Gerard, since Frank was off work on Sundays. He also had every Monday off, but usually spent those days with friends. Earlier, Frank bought a bouquet of assorted flowers from the florist, and planned on giving them to Gerard. Frank looked over at the bouquet that sat in the shotgun seat next to him and sighed. Even though Frank has gotten used to seeing Gerard every week in the nursing home, it hurt him to see the condition his husband has been reduced to. He knew Gerard didn't have very much time left on this planet, but Frank told himself that he will make those last days for Gerard the best they can possibly be.  
Frank shut off the engine of his car and got out, taking the flowers with him and locking his car. He took a deep breath and began to walk toward the front doors of the building. Once he got inside, he got into the elevator and pressed the button that had the number four on it to take him up to the Alzheimer's and dementia floor. Once the elevator came to a stop, the doors opened, and Frank stepped out. Right now was breakfast time, which was the usual time for Frank to arrive to see Gerard. Before seeing Gerard, Frank wanted to speak with Lindsey, one of the registered nurses that usually works with Gerard. He wanted to make sure Gerard was doing alright. Frank soon found Lindsey at the nurse's station sitting in front of a computer, likely to do charting. Frank walked up to her and smiled.  
"Hey, Lindsey. How's Gerard doing?" he asked. Lindsey looked up to him and sighed deeply, her eyes apologetic.  
"Not so good. He became combative with the CNA's when they tried getting him up this morning. He was just as bad when they showered him, so bad that three CNAs had to hold him down so they could bathe him. Then last night, he spent the whole night trying to get outta bed. I doubt he got enough sleep. It's a good thing you're here to see him, though. I'm sure he'd appreciate that," Lindsey said.  
"Oh my," Frank sighed. "Well, you're right. I'm sure he's happy to see me, even if he may not remember me,"  
"I'm sure he still remembers you. He seems happier around you. He'll really appreciate you coming to see him and giving him those beautiful flowers there," Lindsey smiled, eyeing the bouquet of flowers in Frank's hand. That smile quickly faded though, which concerned Frank.  
"What's wrong?" Frank asked.  
"Frank, I almost forgot to tell you something. It's serious," Lindsey said, frowning. "We have noticed some bruises on several parts of Gerard's body, and we don't know where they came from. None of the CNAs that have worked with Gerard reported these bruises to us, and we have tried asking them if they knew how he got them, but none of them know,"  
Frank felt his stomach drop immediately. He quickly thought that someone might be abusing Gerard, heaven forbid. But why? Who would dare to hurt Gerard, Frank thought to himself. How else could Gerard get all these bruises anyhow? Frank knew he had to get to the bottom of this, and fast before anything else bad happens to his husband.  
"Oh...I see. Thanks for telling me. I hope you guys find out where those bruises came from," Frank said reluctantly. He wanted to keep asking Lindsey about the bruises, but he knew that she didn't know much about them since nobody told her anything. He needed to see Gerard. "I'm gonna go see Gerard now. It was great talking to you,"  
"Same. Have fun," Lindsey replied. Frank walked down the hall to the dining room, where he found a bunch of elderly people sitting at tables eating their food, while others that couldn't feed themselves had that done for them by some of the CNA's. Frank quickly spotted Gerard in his wheelchair, sitting at a table with a female CNA next to him, trying to feed him. Frank quickly realized that the girl was struggling, unable to get Gerard to open his mouth to eat. He watched as she would constantly put a forkful of food up to Gerard's mouth, just to have him wince away from it. Frank sighed and walked up to Gerard, waving at the girl trying to feed him. Frank knelt down and faced Gerard, smiling at him.  
"Hey, Gee. It's me, Frank. I've come to see you again," Frank said happily, just to have Gerard respond to Frank with silence as he stared off into space, like always. Frank wrapped his hand around one of Gerard's, which caught his attention. Gerard turned his head over to Frank, staring at him blankly. Frank knew that Gerard couldn't respond, but Frank knew deep down that Gerard was happy to see him. Frank also knew that with all the times he's seen Gerard here that he would recognize him, no doubt. Frank was sure of this because whenever he was around Gerard, he was usually much more calmer and never really had any "episodes" around him. Gerard's episodes mainly consisted of randomly screaming and crying out of nowhere, which was why Frank usually saw him in the morning to avoid being around Gerard when he's sundowning in the evening. Seeing Gerard so distraught always broke Frank's heart, but seeing that he's calm right now, he was content with this.  
"I've been trying to get him to eat, but he just won't. He hasn't even eaten one bite," the CNA beside Gerard, named Jamia said, as shown on her nametag. Frank looked down at Gerard's plate of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit and sighed deeply. He also noticed the cups of coffee and orange juice near it, which look full and untouched, which immediately gave Frank an idea.  
"Have you tried giving him his coffee first? I remember him usually taking a few sips of his coffee before he would start eating when he was in his better days," Frank said, taking the cup of coffee and bringing it up to Gerard, who just looked down at it with no expression.  
"Gee, drink some of your coffee. You know you love it!" Frank said quietly to Gerard. Frank watched as Gerard briefly looked over at him, then back at his coffee. He brought his lips down and began to sip the warm drink. After that, Gerard paused, then took more sips. Frank smiled, congratulating Gerard by patting his shoulder.  
"Good job. That a boy," he said, with Jamia beside him looking relieved.  
"Looks like that worked. You really do know him well, which is good for us," she said.  
"I'll feed him for you. You go help someone else. I got this. Thanks," Frank told the CNA. Jamia got up and excused herself as Frank gave Gerard more coffee. When Frank thought that Gerard had enough, he set the drink down back on the table. Frank decided that now was a good time for Gerard to eat. Frank took a forkful of pancakes and syrup and brought it to Gerard's mouth, which opened immediately. Frank put the food in Gerard's mouth and watched as he chewed. Frank knew he had to check Gerard's mouth later to make sure he didn't pocket any food, a habit that Gerard tends to have. When Gerard swallowed, Frank continued to give him more food. Frank knew that the staff working with Gerard would be happy to see that he ate, since feeding Gerard has always been difficult for them.  
As Frank fed Gerard, he examined him. Even though Gerard's mind has frayed immensely, he still looked young and handsome. He has the same long black hair and creamy pale skin Frank remembered him having when they first met back in high school. Gerard was also dressed nicely in a black dress shirt with pants that were the same color, complete with a red tie. At that moment, Frank came up with a fantastic idea. He decided it would be a great idea to tell Gerard the story of when they first met, as well as their life's story together. Going through every detail of when they were together would take forever to fully tell, so Frank decided that he would tell the story in bits and pieces each time he sees Gerard from now on. Frank was sure that Gerard would appreciate him telling him a story, even if Gerard can't properly respond. Frank knew where he had to start the story, and that was at the very beginning.  
"Gee, how about if I tell you a story? You'd like that, huh?" Frank asked Gerard as he fed him more of his food. "Well, how should I start this?"

_ _ _  
Frank woke up in his bed as his alarm clock blared, telling him to get the hell outta bed for his first day of high school. Frank groaned and turned it off, sitting up and rubbing his tired eyes. He and his family have been living in Newark for three months now, moving from Atlantic City due to Frank's father's job relocating. Frank felt homesick, even after spending quite a lot of time in his new hometown. He had many friends in Atlantic City, and what saddened him the most about moving away was having to leave them all behind. He was really anxious about starting school in a different town far from the one he was born and raised in, and was sad that he knew no one at this new school he's going to.  
Frank stood up and went to his dresser, where he pulled out his school uniform, which was a set of a blue suit, white dress shirt, and red tie, with the school's logo on the right breast of the suit jacket. He also got himself some socks and underwear, and headed into the bathroom after getting a hairbrush. Frank went to the shower and turned it on, then set the clothes down. He then stripped down naked and got in the shower, being satisfied with how warm the water was. He scrubbed his hair with shampoo and conditioner, then washed his face and body. After that, he got out and dried off, then wrapped himself in his towel as he blow-dried his jet black hair and straightened it. He then got into his uniform, checking himself in the mirror as he did. Frank was used to attending schools that required him to wear a uniform, as he came from a religious family that was quite wealthy, so wealthy that they had the money to put their son in a private school. Frank decided that the uniform didn't look bad on him at all, but still wished he could wear jeans and band t-shirts instead to school.  
After getting dressed, Frank went downstairs to the kitchen, where his mom was making eggs, bacon, and biscuits for breakfast. The food smelled so good, and it made Frank's stomach growl. Thankfully, he made it just in time to eat, as his mother got him a plate of food and handed it to him. Frank sat at the table and ate, slowly feeling fulfilled as he did. Frank's dad then came into the room, dressed in his suit for work, and his wife gave him a plate of food, and he sat down with Frank. Frank's mom then got herself a plate and sat down with her family, all of them eating together.  
"How'd you sleep, son? You excited for school?" Frank's mom asked him. Frank signed deeply.  
"Not really. I don't know anyone there. It's gonna feel weird," he replied.  
"Don't worry, Frank. I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends like you did back in Atlantic City. You're easy to get along with," his mother said. "See starting high school as a big opportunity. You'll meet all kinds of new people, while becoming more knowledgeable in the process! Think of all the after school clubs you can join, especially that Italian club! That one will be perfect for you since you are taking a class related to that. Soon enough you'll learn to speak perfect Italian. You'll make your whole family proud!"  
"She's right, you know," Frank's father added as he sipped his coffee. "I heard that the club goes to Italy towards the end of the school year every year. That'll be fun for you, Frank,"  
"I know, I will enjoy that. I really appreciate you guys letting me do something like that. Not everyone gets to travel outside the country," Frank said, feeling grateful that he has been given the chance to travel to a different country that's very exquisite. He thought about what his mom said about meeting tons of different people. From what Frank has been told, the school he will be going to is pretty big. Frank soon felt pretty optimistic about meeting new friends. There's gotta be other people in that school that like Black Flag and horror movies, Frank thought to himself, even though the school is religious and private.  
Frank and his parents ate quietly until Frank finished, being the fast eater he is. He put his dishes in the sink and went back to his room to get his backpack. After doing that, he went back downstairs and out the front door as he said bye to his parents. He walked a short distance to the bus stop through the affluent neighborhood full of mansion-like houses and beautiful plantation. When Frank got to the bus stop, he noticed about ten different people there, all of them being high school aged like Frank, and also wearing the same uniform as him. His attention was quickly caught when he heard very faint music that sounded like punk rock. What made Frank surprised is that he recognizes that song. It's "My War" by Black Flag, his favorite band. He saw the music coming from someone's headphones, which belonged to a young man that had a mass of curly brown hair. Frank didn't wanna be rude and bother the guy, but he saw this as his first opportunity to possibly make a new friend, and he couldn't let it pass him. Frank walked up to the man with the headphones blaring and softly tapped his shoulder to get his attention in the most polite way possible, since calling his name wouldn't do anything since the music is pretty loud.  
"What's up?" the boy with the curly hair asked as he removed his headphones from his ears, looking at Frank.  
"That's Black Flag you're playing there, isn't it? That's my favorite band!" Frank said enthusiastically, but not so much to the point where he would gain the attention of the other students waiting for the bus.  
"Really? That's awesome! You like punk rock?"  
"Hell yeah! I could go on forever about how many punk bands I like. I'm Frank, by the way. Frank Iero. What about you?"  
"Ray Toro. Nice to meet you, Frank," Ray smiled, shaking hands with Frank. Frank instantly knew he liked this guy. He seemed really friendly and liked the same kind of music as him. He wanted to talk more to Ray and become his friend, and hoped that Ray was okay with that. "What year are you?"  
"I'm a freshman. Just moved here a few months ago. You?" Frank asked.  
"Wow, you're a newbie!" Ray laughed. "I'm a senior. Where did you move from?"  
"Atlantic City. My dad's business moved here,"  
"Nice, nice. Well, I have a feeling that you and I are gonna get along famously, even though I'm way older than you. What lunch period do you have?"  
"Uh, I think I have fifth. What about you?" Frank asked, remembering that he checked his schedule earlier.  
"Really? That's the one me and my posse has! You can come sit with us, if you want!" Ray said excitedly.  
"I'd love to. Who are your friends? Do they have a lot in common with you?" Frank asked, feeling proud that someone already wants him to sit with this guy and his friends. He was off to a good start with making new friends for sure, he thought. He was dying to know more about who Ray hung around with. Frank thought that he could become close to them too.  
"They're the Way brothers. Gerard and Mikey. Gerard is a senior like me, and Mikey is a freshman like you. We all have a lot in common. We all like punk rock, comic books, horror movies, stuff like that. They're both really nice. I think you'll really like Gerard. Mikey is kinda quiet," Ray said. This Gerard guy that he just mentioned immediately caught Frank's attention. Frank has never heard that name before, but liked how it sounded. Frank decided that he would take Ray's word for it. He couldn't wait to meet Gerard, as well as Mikey.  
The school bus pulled up to the stop, and everyone waiting there started getting inside. Frank and Ray took a seat towards the back and continued to talk about various things, such as music and horror movies they liked until the bus soon came to a stop to St. Lawrence High School, a place that had the word money written all over it. Ray and Frank got out of the bus and walked into the school. Frank soon found his locker and got his book for first period English. After that, they walked to Ray's locker, where he got his book for Spanish class. Ray looked up and noticed two familiar faces walking up to him and Frank, smiling and waving. Frank looked over at the people that were approaching him and Ray, and that was when his heart nearly stopped when he got a good look at the one that looked a little older than the other one. He was pretty tall and had long ebony black hair that looked luscious, as well as creamy pale skin and hazel eyes. Frank immediately knew who this guy was. It was Gerard, the elder Way brother that Ray mentioned. Frank knew Ray was right about one thing, and that was that he would like Gerard. Frank really liked him, in fact.  
"Hey, fro man. What's up?" Gerard asked when he and his younger brother walked up to Ray and Frank.  
"Not much, really excited for the new year. One more year of this place, then we're out. Can you believe it, Gerard? It sucks that Mikey and Frank here have a long way to go since they're new here," Ray said. He turned over to Frank and gasped a little. "Oh, I forgot to introduce Frank here. How rude of me! He's gonna be sitting with us at lunch later. He has the same lunch period as us,"  
Gerard looked over and made eye contact with Frank for the first time, and that's when Frank started to feel really hot and bothered. Frank knew the polite thing to do was to introduce himself, but he just couldn't get himself to speak right. He stuttered for a bit, blushing profusely. He just hoped Gerard didn't notice Frank's hot red cheeks.  
"You look so nervous. Poor you. Don't worry, though. I was pretty nervous my first day here as a freshman too. I'm Gerard, by the way. This is my brother Mikey. He's also a freshman," Gerard said, motioning to Mikey, whose eyes were glued to a cell phone screen, his skinny fingers texting someone. Frank immediately noticed something off about Mikey. He looked really skinny, Frank thought to himself. In fact, way too skinny. His face, which wore a pair of thin-framed glasses, seemed very sunken, and his body looked really frail, like he was malnourished. Even though Frank just met this guy and his handsome older brother, Frank wanted to ask why Mikey looked so thin, but immediately decided against it, thinking that asking Mikey such a question would come off as extremely rude. Frank focused his attention back to Gerard, but still didn't know what to say to him. He knew he wanted to make a good impression on Gerard, but was too lost in his eyes to do that. He just had to say something to him so that Gerard doesn't think he's weird or something. The last thing Frank wanted was to have Gerard think negatively of him.  
"H-hi, guys. Nice to meet you two," Frank finally said, cursing to himself. He knew he came of as way too nervous when he said what just came out of his mouth. He saw Mikey briefly look at him, then back down at his phone, while Gerard just laughed lightheartedly.  
"You're so adorable, Frank!" Gerard said, still laughing. "It's okay. We don't bite. Trust me. Besides, I like the shy and quiet types, even though I'm pretty much the complete opposite of that. You're so cute that I could take you out somewhere nice,"  
Frank watched as Gerard winked suggestively at him, making feel like his whole world just froze. Gerard just called him adorable, so much that he could take him out somewhere. He could have just said it in a joking way, but that's not what Frank wanted to believe. Frank knew that Gerard was totally checking him out. He could sense that Gerard was being serious about what he just said. Frank smiled brightly in his mind, instantly realizing that the one man he has a huge thing for likes him back. Frank knew he was going to like going to this school. Moving here must've been a blessing in disguise, Frank thought to himself.  
"Oh, really? I'd appreciate that," Frank replied, laughing bashfully. He looked over at Ray, and when he did, that was when Frank's smile faded quickly. Ray didn't seem too happy by what Gerard just said. He gave Gerard this blunt look that said "did you really just say that?". Gerard, on the other hand, did not seem bothered by this, for some reason. But why? Frank honestly had no idea what was ensuing right now, and that unsettled him. Ray really looked like he wasn't happy with Gerard, and Frank wanted to know why. But before he could evaluate the possibilities in his mind, the bell suddenly rang, and in unison, many students started to walk to their classes. Frank's attention was caught when Gerard looked over at him and smiled.  
"We'll talk later, Frank. See you at lunch," he said. After that, he said goodbye to him and Ray as Gerard and Mikey started to walk to their classes. When they disappeared, Ray looked over at Frank with a somewhat worried look on his face as they started walking to class.  
"What's wrong, Ray?" Frank asked.  
"I don't wanna jump to conclusions, but...do you like Gerard?" Ray asked, sighing. Frank felt his chest constrict. Fuck. It was obvious to Ray that Frank does in fact like Gerard...a lot. Frank didn't wanna lie to his new friend. Frank never was attracted to girls all his life, but has never been in a relationship with another guy. He's never felt this passionate about someone before. Frank didn't have a problem with coming out to Ray, even though he's never come out to anyone else before. Frank thought Ray to be as someone that seemed very accepting of someone being gay, so he might as well just tell the truth, he thought to himself.  
"To be honest...I do. He's not already taken, is he?" Frank asked.  
"I knew it. It's like when you first saw him, you just tensed up and started blushing like crazy. Don't get me started on your stuttering around him. I was right...but not in the way I thought. You do really like him. And no, he's single, and there's a reason behind that," Ray said.  
"Why's that?" Frank asked, immediately concerned. He was relieved to know that Gerard is single, but Ray just told him that there's something behind that, and Frank wanted to know what that was.  
"I'm sure you're a smart guy, Frank. I really mean that. I'm telling you this because I'm worried for you after what Gerard just told you. You'll figure out soon why Gerard is single the more you talk to him. Trust me," Ray said, giving Frank a concerned look. Ray and Frank suddenly stopped in front of a classroom. Frank instantly knew this was Ray's first period Spanish class. He had to say goodbye to Ray and get to English class.  
"I'll see you at lunch, Frank. Remember what I said. It'll do you good," Ray said as he walked into class. Frank started to make his way to his first class, suddenly feeling conflicted. He really liked Gerard, but after hearing what Ray said about him, he didn't know what to think. From what he's been told, it sounds like Ray is worried that Gerard might hurt Frank in some way, but how? Gerard seemed really sweet and genuine to him, and Frank didn't wanna believe that Gerard might do something bad to him. Frank could only hope that Ray was just overreacting.  
Frank soon reached his English class, walking inside and taking a seat towards the back of the room, itching to once again see the beautiful man he just met. He knew this was gonna be one hell of a school year.

_ _ _  
By the time Frank was done telling Gerard the story of when they first met, Gerard's plate of food was empty, as well as his cups of coffee and orange juice. Frank took off the bib on Gerard and set it down, smiling at him.  
"You ate all your food, Gee. Great job. I'm proud of you," Frank whispered to Gerard, who was still silently staring off into space. "There's a lot more to tell, and I'll be back to tell you more when I see you next time. It gets better,"  
Suddenly, Gerard began to shift in his wheelchair. He slowly began to stand up, holding onto the armrests of the chair, his body shaking. Gerard was a high fall risk, and knowing that made Frank jump into action, standing up and trying to get Gerard to sit back down.  
"Gerard, please sit down. You're gonna hurt yourself," Frank said calmly. When Gerard ignored him, Frank started to panic. At that moment, two CNAs walked up to them, one male and the other female. Frank instantly recognized the female CNA; it was Kathy, who normally works morning shift. However, Frank didn't recognize the man with her, and the moment Frank first looked at him, he winced in his mind. This guy was tall and pale, had a goatee, as well as greasy blonde hair. His teeth looked rotten, and had a poorly made tattoo of a bat on his forearm. He also reeked of body odor. Every other staff member looked presentable for the job, but not this guy. Frank immediately knew something was off about this man in particular.  
"Sit down, Gerard," he said, his voice thick with a southern accent. He didn't tell Gerard in a calm manner to sit down. In fact, it sounded pretty aggressive, worrying Frank. He looked over at Kathy, who didn't at all respond to how her coworker was talking to one of their residents. When Gerard didn't listen to the unknown and suspicious caregiver, he scoffed. He walked up behind Gerard, grabbed him by the back of his pants, and pulled him down forcefully to the seat of his wheelchair. This immediately made Gerard agitated. He started to scream loudly, gaining the attention of everyone else in the room. Tears soon began to run from his eyes as he continued to scream, looking at Frank in desperation, which made his heart shatter to millions of pieces. Frank quickly snapped his head to the caregiver that was obviously mistreating Gerard, giving him an angry look.  
"Hey, don't do that! You're scaring him!" Frank said, raising his voice. He looked at the caregiver's nametag, which read Dylan.  
"Don't tell me how to do my job. He probably just needs to be changed," Dylan replied in a very snarky tone. Deep down inside, Frank wanted to scream at Dylan, but knew he couldn't, or else he would cause a scene, and possibly be forced to leave the facility. After Dylan unlocked Gerard's wheelchair, he began to wheel Gerard out of the room, with Kathy following behind him. Frank watched in horror as Gerard continued to scream and cry loudly, being taken away from him.  
"Help me!" Gerard yelled, looking directly at Frank. "Help me, help me!"  
As Frank watched Gerard being wheeled out of the dining room, his eyes began to tear up. Gerard was begging for Frank's help. He was so lost and scared for his life. Gerard rarely acted like this around him, but it wasn't because he was sundowning. He was being abused when he couldn't defend himself. Frank almost knew for sure that it was Dylan that's been hurting Gerard all this time, and Frank had to do something about it.  
Frank walked out of the dining room and down the hall to Gerard's room, which was room 405. It was one of the rooms that's closest to the nurse's station, and Frank knew they put Gerard in that room because of the severity of his case of dementia. Beyond the door, he could still hear Gerard screaming, as well as Dylan and Kathy talking. Frank quickly picked up on what they were saying, and he didn't like it at all. They were complaining about how they're always short-staffed and don't get paid enough money to take care of the people in this place. Frank quickly brushed this off and went inside Gerard's room, finding Gerard in his bed being changed as he fought with the caregivers, still hysterical with tears. Frank knew he had to step in and do Dylan and Kathy's job for them since they're struggling and complaining. Even though Frank has never changed a diaper in his life, let alone one on an adult, he had to do it for his vulnerable husband. It was the right thing to do.  
"Let me change Gerard. You guys are clearly having a hard time. He's much more calmer around me. Trust me," Frank said calmly. Kathy looked at Dylan, then to Frank, then right back to Dylan, who just shook his head.  
"You're not a caregiver, though. How are you gonna change his diaper?" he asked.  
"I know I haven't changed a diaper, but I've watched other people do it. Just let me change him. Please. If he's around me, he'll calm down,"  
As Gerard continued to scream and cry, Kathy and Dylan looked at each other. They quickly looked back at Frank, and Kathy handed Frank a clean diaper and wipes, as well as a pair of latex gloves before her and Dylan left the room, leaving Frank alone with Gerard. Frank walked up to Gerard's bedside and put the gloves on, looking down at Gerard, his screams and cries being reduced to soft sobs.  
"Hey, Gee. I'm back. There's no reason to be upset anymore. They're gone. I'm gonna change you, okay?" Frank said calmly, smiling sadly at him. Gerard just stared at Frank, sniffling. Frank started to get to work on changing Gerard as he pulled off his urine soaked diaper and threw it in the trash. He then wiped him up and turned Gerard over on his side, using the incontinence pad under him on his bed to do so. He then put the new diaper on Gerard and rolled him back on his backside, Frank finishing up putting the diaper on Gerard. After that, he put Gerard's pants and shoes back on him, and helped Gerard sit up in bed. Frank then lifted up Gerard and sat him back in his wheelchair near his bed. Frank immediately felt exhausted after having to lift up Gerard, and his back felt incredibly sore. Frank bent down to face Gerard in his chair, and smiled again.  
"See? That wasn't so bad, and I've never changed a diaper before. There's gotta be a first for everything, right?" Frank laughed softly. He suddenly realized that he forgot Gerard's flowers in the dining room, and he had to go get them so he can put them in a vase. Frank quickly ran to the place where he left the flowers, picked them up, and went back to Gerard's room, bending down again and showing Gerard his gift.  
"I almost completely forgot to tell you that I got you these. Aren't they beautiful, Gee? Of course, they're not as beautiful as you," Frank said, smiling as he held the flowers in front of Gerard, who just stared at them. Frank got up and put the flowers in a vase on Gerard's nightstand, then wheeled Gerard out of his room and into the day room, where many of the other residents were at, watching some sitcom on the flat screen TV while other residents slept in their wheelchairs and geri chairs. Frank wheeled up Gerard close to the television and locked the wheelchair. Frank then bent down to face Gerard again, stroking his long black hair gently.  
"I have to leave now, Gee. I've got errands to run. I promise I'll be back next week, like always," he said. Suddenly, Gerard began to slowly turn his head, facing Frank with a look of utter sadness.  
"Don't...go," Gerard stuttered weakly, his eyes begging his lover to stay with him. Upon hearing this, Frank felt his heart break again. He knew at that moment that Lindsey was right. Gerard does still remember Frank, and he doesn't want him to leave because he's being abused. As much as Frank would love to stay with Gerard, he had a lot of work that had to be done, such as grocery shopping. He had been putting that off for several days, and now his fridge is almost completely empty. Frank knew that he was also gonna do something else when he left. He was gonna go to the local Best Buy to purchase a video camera to hide in Gerard's room to see who left the bruises on him. Frank was still almost positive that it was Dylan that did it, but he needed proof. He had to do it for Gerard's sake. Frank had to leave so that he can get things done, and save the man he married almost five years ago.  
"I have to go, Gee. I'm sorry. I've got plenty of work to do. But I swear I'll be back to see you next week," Frank said before he left a kiss on Gerard's cold cheek, remembering to reassure Gerard that he will never let anything bad happen to him. "I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you. Mark my words. I love you, Gerard,"  
Gerard didn't respond to Frank, but that was alright with him. He could see a certain light behind Gerard's eyes, saying that he loves him too, and knowing that made Frank smile. He took Gerard into a gentle but loving embrace, kissing him on the forehead as he stood up.  
"Bye, Gee. See you later," Frank said as he walked away from Gerard, who just stared at Frank as he walked further and further away from him until he couldn't see him anymore. Frank walked to the elevator, which took him back down to the first floor. He walked out of the elevator and back out to his car once he exited the building. He was leaving Gerard again, which was always the worst part of seeing him. But Frank knew that he was gonna be back soon with a video camera to put in Gerard's room to find the culprit that gave him those bruises. Frank swore that he would never go back on his word when he told Gerard that he will never let anyone hurt him. He loved him that much.  
Frank started up the engine of his car once he got inside, and drove out of the parking lot of Gerard's "home". As Frank drove further away from it, he began to feel more tears well up in his hazel eyes. It hasn't even been ten minutes since he left the nursing home, and Frank already missed Gerard.


	2. Chapter 2

After a long day of shopping for groceries, cigarettes, and a good video camera to put in Gerard's room to find who has been hurting him, Frank returned home and put all his bags of groceries away after making several rounds to his car to haul them all up to the apartment room on the third floor, since the elevator was out of order.

Frank went to the living room and picked up the video camera he just bought from the Best Buy not far from the apartment. He examined the box carefully like he did when he looked at it in the store, and this was when Frank began to get deep in thought. He already visited Gerard and felt really tired after all he's done for the day, but the day was still far from over; it was 2:36 when Frank looked at the time on his phone. He told Gerard that he promised to protect him from anyone that could potentially hurt him, like Dylan. Frank didn't want anything else to happen to Gerard, and the only way he could make that happen is if he gets his ass to the nursing home and puts the camera in Gerard's room as soon as possible.

"Fuck," Frank muttered, quickly getting his keys and running down the stairs to his car, putting the keys in the ignition as soon as he got in the car and placed the boxed camera in the shotgun seat. He sped off on his way to the nursing home, going about fifteen miles per hour above the speed limit. He soon began to think that something awful was happening to Gerard right now at the very place he lived at. He hoped he was wrong, though. Oh, he really hoped to God that he was definitely wrong, even though Frank was not religious, unlike his family. He had to get to Cadbury Springs fast and see Gerard again, not only because he already missed him, but because he had to protect him, since Gerard couldn't do that for himself.

After about a half hour drive, which seemed to have dragged on forever due to traffic, Frank made it to Cadbury Springs. He quickly turned off his car and took the camera with him, locking the car as he ran to the front doors of the building. He rushed up the elevator to the fourth floor, and when the doors opened, Frank felt his insides turn to jelly. He heard screaming and crying coming from one of the rooms, and it all sounded familiar. It was Gerard that was screaming and crying again, and it was coming from his room, which had some staff members right outside of it, varying from nurses to CNAs. Frank darted to the room and pushed past the people blocking his way, just to find Gerard on the floor near his wheelchair, his right eye swollen and black, with a couple nurses at his side trying to calm him down as he continued to wail and sob uncontrollably. Frank nearly screamed when he saw what happened to him, and rushed over to him and bent down to face him, stroking his tear-soaked cheek as his hand shook uncontrollably.

"Gee, it's me, Frank. What the hell happened to you?" Frank asked shakily. He knew he needed answers right now since Gerard couldn't tell him what happened to his eye. Frank swung his head to the nurses working with Gerard, giving them a bewildered yet furious look.

"What the hell just happened to my husband? How could you guys be so negligent and let this happen? First the bruises, and now this? What is wrong with you people?" Frank nearly yelled, his whole body tense from anxiety and anger.

"Sir, you need to calm down. I understand you're upset that this happened to Gerard, and we're sorry. He's gonna be okay. We just called an ambulance," a female nurse said to Frank, her nametag reading Chantal on it.

"Do you care to explain to me how this happened? How did Gerard fall and get a black eye? Explain. Now," Frank asked in an extremely demanding tone. Frank was usually pretty chill around the staff here, but lately they have been letting him down, and well as Gerard. Frank knew he had every right to be angry because of all that's happened.

"One of the CNAs that's been training for her first day left Gerard in his room after feeding him lunch, and Gerard must've stood up from his chair and fell over," Chantal explained to Frank, who was just at a loss of words. Frank knew that new CNA or not, that a resident with dementia should never be left alone with no one to monitor them. Because of this new CNA's lack of knowledge, or just pure laziness, she let Gerard fall and hurt himself badly, and Frank wanted to find this worker and scream at her, but quickly decided against it, as he didn't wanna get kicked out of the facility.

"Are you serious? How the hell do you guys train your workers? Gerard should never be left alone! This is ridiculous! Putting my husband here was clearly a bad idea," Frank said, feeling absolutely appalled that the very people that were supposed to care for Gerard let him get hurt...again.

"Again, we're really sorry this happened. But you need to calm down. The ambulance should be here shortly," Chantal replied defensively. She and the other nurse beside her then stood up and left Frank with Gerard, who was still hysterically crying and screaming. Frank put his hand back on Gerard's cheek, wiping his tears.

"Gerard, look at me. It's Frank. I'm here. You're gonna be okay," Frank said to Gerard, whose cries became reduced to soft sobs when he looked at Frank. Frank smiled sadly, knowing that Gerard was happy and relieved to see him again.

"It...it hurts," Gerard whimpered softly, still sniffling and sobbing.

"I know, baby. I know. What they've been doing to you is wrong. I can't leave this place without you getting hurt. I'm so sorry I let you down, Gee. I told you I'd never let anyone hurt you, but...look what just happened. I feel awful because of it. I don't know how you could forgive me, Gerard,"

Before Frank could guilt trip himself some more, two paramedics walked into the room, and began asking the nurses questions regarding Gerard and his accident. Once they got enough information, they walked up to Gerard, one of them wheeling the gurney near him.

"Are you related to this man?" one of the medics asked Frank, pointing to Gerard.

"Yes, I am. I don't know how you're gonna be able to get Gerard on the gurney. He can barely walk, let alone stand up," Frank said worriedly.

"That's alright. The nurses said that they gotta use a lift to get Gerard transferred," the medic said. At that moment, a CNA walked in with a large crude device with a sling. Frank recognized what this device was. He's seen it being used on some of the residents that are completely immobile, and now it had to be used on Gerard, which made Frank's heart sink. He decided to help Gerard onto the gurney, since he's seen some of the caregivers use the device many times. It looked simple enough to operate, he thought. Frank helping Gerard would also reduce the risk of Gerard freaking out again.

"Here, let me help," Frank said to the CNA near the lift. "I've seen you guys use that thing many times, and if Gerard is around me, he'll most likely be a lot calmer and cooperative,"

"That's fine," said the CNA, named Patricia, as shown on her nametag. She handed the sling to Frank, who went back to Gerard, who was still lying on the floor. He rolled Gerard on his side, putting the sling under him. When he rolled Gerard back on his backside, Patricia brought the lift over Gerard, and lowered it down to the ground. Frank hooked up the loops on the sides of the sling to the lift, and then Patricia began to bring Gerard up. Once Gerard was up high enough, Patricia lowered Gerard down on top of the gurney, then removed the sling off from under Gerard, who was visibly shaking and looking at Frank fearfully. Frank stood up and walked up to Gerard, holding his hand as he stroked his hair.

"You're gonna be taken to the hospital, Gee. You gotta get your eye fixed up. Don't worry, babe. I'll be there with you," Frank said, leaving a kiss on Gerard's forehead before the medics buckled up Gerard. After that, they began to wheel Gerard out of his room on the gurney, who started to panic, screaming and crying as the medics took him away from Frank, who did his best to hold back his tears. He suddenly realized that he almost forgot about Gerard's camera. He picked it up off the floor and hid it in his closet, remembering to hook it up later when Gerard gets back from the hospital. He also wanted to make sure none of the employees found it, since cameras were forbidden from the place, as far as Frank knew. He then walked out of Gerard's room and near Gerard with the medics. Frank wiped at Gerard's eye that wasn't wounded, and Gerard's screams and cries became subdued.

"I'm not going anywhere, Gee. I'm gonna follow you to the hospital," Frank whispered. At that moment, the elevator doors opened, and the medics wheeled Gerard into the elevator. Frank stepped inside as well, staying close to Gerard. When the elevator went down to the first floor, Frank followed Gerard and the medics outside and to the ambulance. Frank knew he couldn't leave his car here at the nursing home, so he had to follow the ambulance to the hospital. He watched as the paramedics put Gerard in the ambulance, then Frank got into his car and started up the engine. He began to follow the ambulance, which began to flash it's lights and blare it's siren. As Frank drove, he suddenly realized that there's a good chance that he would probably have to deal with Gerard's parents. Frank didn't get along with then due to things that happened in the past while he and Gerard were still in high school. They didn't agree with their eldest son being gay and dating another men due to their religion. Frank knew that the nurse at the home called Donna, Gerard's power of attorney, about the incident. Now, there was a good chance that Frank is gonna have to deal with getting an earful from her, as well as her husband Donald, even though what just happened to Gerard wasn’t really Frank’s fault. Still, he wished he could have stayed with him, but he had things to do. Frank just hoped that Gerard was gonna be okay, even though he got nothing more than a black eye. Gerard being okay was all that Frank cared about.

Both Frank and the ambulance soon made it to the nearest hospital. Frank immediately got out of his car and walked through the sliding doors of the emergency room. He checked in with the receptionist, telling her that he’s Gerard’s husband, and wanted to be updated about his condition. After being given a name tag with his name on it, which he stuck onto his shirt, he walked over to sit down. But before he could, he suddenly saw Gerard’s parents, who clearly didn’t look happy. They stood up the minute they saw Frank, and they both walked up to him.

“What the hell happened?” Donna asked, her voice laced with both genuine concern and anger. The best Frank could do was just explain to the best of his power.

“Gerard was left in his room for some time, and the nurse told me he stood up and fell. Nobody monitored him,” he said calmly, yet also assertively.

“That’s what she told me. I just wanted to get your side of the story,” Donna replied in a little calmer tone.

Frank realized that it’s definitely a good idea to tell Gerard’s parents about the bruises the staff found on Gerard, as well as the abusive caregiver Dylan, and the camera Frank bought to find out if Dylan really has been abusing Gerard. Maybe if he tells them, they’ll think of putting their son in a different and much better nursing home that actually cares about the well-being of their residents. It’d be foolish to not tell them anything.

“Donna, Donald...there’s something else you two should know,” Frank said shakily.

“What is it?” Donald asked.

“The nurse Lindsey...she told me that the staff has found bruises all over Gerard’s body. I’m starting to think someone is abusing him behind closed doors. I bought a video camera to put in his room--”

“What?” both Donna and Donald nearly yelled, their jaws dropping to the ground.

“Yes, you heard me right. I really wish I was kidding. I think I know who’s abusing him. Gerard couldn’t have gotten those bruises out of thin air,” Frank sighed.

“Well, obviously. That’s just fucking groovy,” Donna scoffed. “It’s a good thing you bought a camera. You can find out who’s been hurting our son, and show the evidence to a nurse, or even the administrator or the Director of Nursing. This is just ridiculous!”

“I’m so sorry this all happened. I wish I could have stayed with Gerard longer, but I had other things to do, such as run errands. I had to find a good camera to put in Gerard’s room,”

“It’s not your fault, Frank. It’s the nursing home’s fault,” Donald said. “Come on, let’s all sit down. It’s only a black eye that Gerard got. It shouldn’t be a terribly long time before we can see him,”

“Yeah, I know,” Frank said as he, Donna, and Donald all sat down. Donna decided to read one of the magazines on the end table, while Donald watched some stand up comedy performance on the tv. Frank just sat in his seat and did absolutely nothing. He’s far too upset to do anything besides worry about Gerard. He suddenly decided to do something to pass the time, and that is to look through pictures of him and his husband on his phone, the pictures being memories of Gerard’s better days. Frank pulled out his phone and went to his gallery on it. He scrolled down til he found a series of pictures of him and Gerard. The first was at their wedding, slicing the cake together. Another one was one of Gerard hugging Frank, his arms wrapped around him from behind, the both of them smiling. Frank also looked at a picture of them kissing each other when they made their vows at their wedding. It was when Frank saw this picture that he completely lost it, welcoming the tears that came to his hazel eyes, the tears dropping down on the screen of his phone. For the life of him, he just couldn’t stop crying. Donald quickly took note of Frank crying and sighed deeply.

“It’s bullshit all that’s happening to Gerard. We should look into putting him in a better home if it all keeps up,” he said.

“We should have never put him in that godforsaken place. The looks and reviews of the place really deceived us,” Frank replied, sniffling. Donald handed Frank a tissue box nearby, and Frank took it, wiping at his eyes with a tissue.

“We were all clearly fooled by them. That’s what nursing homes tend to do. They make it look like some sort of utopia, but behind closed doors, it’s a whole different story,”

“You’re right about finding a different place for Gerard to live in. He can get better care that way, like he deserves. We need to do this as soon as possible,”

“Me and Donna will look into it. Don’t worry,” Donald said reassuringly before his focus went back to the tv. Frank was quite surprised that Donna and Donald weren’t bitchy towards him, like they normally are. It was good that they were both very understanding towards him for once.

Frank decided to pass the time by taking a nap until they were all called back to see Gerard when he’s in stable condition. Like Donald said, it shouldn’t be long before he is. Frank crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. It wasn’t long before he felt himself drift further into sleep.

_ _ _

“Frank, wake up,” Frank heard Donna say to him. He sleepily opened his eyes to find Donna and Donald standing up.

“What is it?” Frank asked.

“The nurse said that we can see Gerard now. They said he’s okay, and that he can be discharged later,” Donna replied, which made Frank jump up from his seat. He felt totally distressed with the fact that Gerard has to be sent back to Cadbury Springs, but he was happy that Gerard’s parents will soon be in the process of finding a better “home” for him.

Frank followed Donna and Donald through the large emergency room doors that had to be unlocked with a code given to the staff. Together, they all walked down the hall til they got to room 54, where Frank could see Gerard fast asleep as he laid in a hospital bed, with an IV hooked up to his arm. Near the room was what appeared to be a nurse, who was obviously waiting for Gerard’s family.

“How is he?” Frank asked the nurse as he and Gerard’s parents walked up to her.

“He’s stable. He’ll be discharged in about a couple of hours, if not longer than that. It was just a black eye. It should heal within a reasonable amount of time,” the nurse replied. “You can all see him now, if you want,”

“Of course we wanna see him. He’d be happy to see us,” Frank said.

“I’m sure he will be,” the nurse said as she walked off. Frank, Donna, and Donald all walked into Gerard’s room, where they all found a sitter seated in the corner of the room to monitor Gerard, likely due to his dementia. Frank immediately walked up to Gerard’s bedside, carding his fingers through Gerard’s hair.

“Oh, baby. I’m so glad you’re okay,” Frank whispered, feeling the sting of tears coming to his eyes again when he looked at Gerard’s eye that’s taped up with gauze. Gerard’s other eye suddenly twitched, and it began to open up. When he looked up at Frank, Frank smiled softly. “See? I told you I’d be here for you. Your mom and dad are both here too,”

“Oh, my poor baby,” Donna nearly cried, walking up to her son and putting her hands on Gerard’s cheeks. Gerard just stared up at her, not saying anything. Donald looked equally as forlorn as his wife.

“You’re gonna be alright, Gee. We’re never gonna let anything like this happen again. Mark my words,” Frank said as he kissed Gerard’s forehead. He hoped that Gerard’s parents didn’t mind, since they are both heavily religious. By the neutral looks on their faces, they seemed to be alright with it, thankfully. Frank grabbed himself a chair and sat beside Gerard, Frank taking Gerard’s hand into his own. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it as Gerard continued to stare off into space.

“Me and Donna are gonna get something to eat at the cafe. You want us to bring you something?” Donald asked.

“Just coffee. Black. Thank you,” Frank replied before Gerard’s parents exited the room. He turned back to Gerard, smiling sadly. He thought that now would be a good time to continue telling his husband how they came to be, starting where he left off. “Well, I should continue the story, shouldn’t I? I know where I left off,”

_ _ _

After Frank got out of the first half of his biology class, he walked downstairs to the cafeteria, since it was now his lunch period. He was very excited to see Ray and Mikey, and especially Gerard. He soon made it to the cafeteria, and got in line for a tray. After getting himself a platter of sweet and sour chicken, rice, an eggroll, and banana pudding, as well as a small carton of milk, he started to search for his new friends. He soon found them at a round table towards the back, with Ray’s afro standing out amongst the crowd of other students. He walked up to the table, wondering where to sit. There was an open space next to Gerard, who looked up at Frank, winking suggestively at him as he smirked. Frank immediately felt himself blush profusely, and he happily sat down next to him as Ray and Mikey talked to each other; something about comic books. As Frank picked up his fork and began to eat, Gerard looked over at him.

“Well, thoughts about this place so far?” he asked.

“Not bad. After all, I think I’ve managed to make some friends here, so there’s that,” Frank shrugged as he ate. He looked over and saw that Gerard didn’t have a tray. Instead, it looked like he packed himself a cold lunch, which considered of a platter of sushi with wasabi and soy sauce, as well as a can of Diet Coke and veggie chips. As for Ray, he also had a hot lunch tray like Frank did, but all Mikey had was a bottle of water. Frank immediately knew that Mikey needed some food due to how unhealthily skinny he is. He began to suspect that there was something wrong with him…

“Oh, good. Honestly, it sucks how strict this place is, having to wear a uniform and all, but I’m kinda used to it. I’ve always been to private and religious schools,” Gerard replied as he used his chopsticks to eat a California roll, dipping it in wasabi and soy sauce before putting it in his mouth. Ray looked up and suddenly noticed Frank at his and his gang’s table.

“Hey, what’s up, Frank?” Ray said as he chewed a mouthful of chicken and rice, downing it with some milk.

“Not much. Just got out of my first half of Biology,” Frank replied.

“Cool beans,” Ray said as he continued to eat. Next to him, Mikey periodically took small sips of his water, not saying anything.

“So, Frank...should we break the ice a little?” Gerard asked as he sipped on his Diet Coke.

“Yeah, sure. You want me to go first?” Frank replied.

“No, I will. Where should I begin?” Gerard asked, looking deep in thought. “Oh, I know. What kind of music do you like? By the looks you have, you seem to be into, um, like...punk rock, I’m assuming,”

“That’s exactly what I like. My favorite band is Black Flag, with The Misfits at a close second,” Frank said, wondering if Gerard liked the same kind of music as him.

“I like punk rock too. I really like both those bands. I also like old school metal, bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and especially Iron Maiden. ‘Flash Of The Blade’ is one of my all time favorite songs. I also like bands like The Smiths and Morrissey, who is my absolute favorite. Have you heard of either of those artists?” Gerard asked as he ate another piece of sushi.

“The Smiths, yes. I’ve heard a few of their songs. Wasn’t Morrissey the lead singer of that band?”

“That’s correct. That guy is seriously so talented, which is part of the reason why I like him so much. So many good songs to name. My favorite would probably have to be ‘Last Of The Famous International Playboys’,”

“Oh, cool. I’ll have to check out some of his music. I’ll take your word for it,” Frank said as he ate.

“If we ever hang out, I can show you some of his best work ...That is, if you’re up for hanging out sometime,” Gerard replied, again looking at Frank suggestively, which made Frank’s heart race. He looked over at Ray, who just sighed deeply.

“Gerard, will you cut it out? It’s only his first day,” he said, sounding annoyed. Frank looked over at Mikey, who just silently shrugged. Gerard scoffed at what Ray just said to him.

“What? I’m just asking Frank if he’d ever want to hang out,” he said defensively as he finished up eating.

“Bullshit. I know what game you’re trying to play with poor Frank. You’ve done this to so many other guys. Knock it off,” Ray said sharply as he finished off the last of his food.

“Jesus, Ray. You need to chill,” Gerard scoffed, turning to Frank. “Don’t worry about him. He can be a real stick in the mud sometimes,”

“Oh...alright,” Frank said, laughing awkwardly as he ate the last of his food. As soon as he did, he heard the bell ring, and that’s when Ray and Mikey stood up to throw out the trash on their trays and head to class. Frank was getting ready to do the same, until he felt Gerard put his hand on his shoulder, making him turn around.

“Wait, Frankie. There’s something I need to ask you,” he said, the same smirk from before on his face.

“Wh-what?” Frank stuttered as he blushed profusely. Gerard laughed lightheartedly.

“You’re blushing...and you’re shaking too,” he whispered. “Would you be willing to hang out later? We can go out someplace, maybe somewhere to eat. Remember what I said when we first met earlier?”

Frank Iero felt his whole world be put on pause. His school crush just asked him out, and right now, he couldn’t be happier. But what was Ray warning him about? Was Gerard a player? He didn’t wanna think he was, but then again, Gerard seemed to coming onto Frank pretty strong...but that’s exactly what Frank wanted. He knew when he first saw Gerard that he wanted to make him all his.

“Oh, um...of course. I’d love to,” Frank smiled. Gerard smiled back, pulling out his phone.

“Give me your number. We’ll stay in touch,” he said. Frank did just that, telling Gerard his number. They then both stood up and threw out their trash, and Frank returned his tray. Together, they walked out of the cafeteria, with Gerard still smirking as he looked at Frank.

“Well, I’ll text you after school so that I can pick you up. I think I know just where to take your little handsome ass,” Gerard said, which made Frank blush even more. He just fucking called him handsome, for Pete’s sake. Gerard parted ways from Frank, leaving him alone with his thoughts as he walked back to Biology class, hoping he doesn’t get lost. There was one thing Frank was definitely lost in, and that was his thoughts of the charming man that just asked him out on a date.

_ _ _

Frank decided to stop at this point, thinking he told Gerard enough for now. He still had a long way to go, though. He looked down at Gerard, who stared up at him. Despite him being unable to talk, Frank began to think that there was a small part of Gerard that actually understood what he was telling him. Frank hoped this was true.

Donna and Donald soon returned from the cafe, Donna handing Frank a hot cup of coffee. Frank took a sip, which burned his tongue a bit. This java was hotter than Frank anticipated.

“Thank you,” Frank said to Gerard’s parents.

“You’re welcome,” Donna replied as she and Donald sat down. At that moment, the nurse from earlier walked in with a crude device that’s used for taking vitals.

“Gerard can be discharged now. We’re gonna have an ambulance take him back. I just need to get his vitals,” she said as she walked up to Gerard, putting a blood pressure cuff around his arm. She also took his temperature and got his oxygen percentage and pulse with some weird device that you put your finger on. Once she was done, she walked out, and two medics walked in and began to transfer Gerard to the gurney. Once they got him transferred and buckled up, they began to walk off with him, and Frank followed them, holding Gerard’s hand after Donna and Donald got up and said goodbye to Frank. Once Gerard, Frank, and the medics reached the ambulance, Frank had no choice but to let go, and when he did, the expression on Gerard’s face changed from content to frightened as he started to yell and cry.

“Don’t worry, Gee. I’ll be back,” Frank said to him. “I love you, baby,”

When the medics closed the doors to the ambulance, Frank watched as it drove off, and he began to walk back to his car. Frank knew that he was gonna continue to see Gerard when he gets back to Cadbury Springs. Gerard desperately needed him.


	3. Chapter 3

It was around time for dinner when Frank and Gerard got back from the hospital. After the medics got Gerard off the gurney and back in his wheelchair, Frank wheeled him to the dining room and grabbed Gerard’s tray from the cart. Tonight for dinner was grilled salmon, scalloped potatoes, and mixed vegetables, as well as lemon meringue pie for dessert, a glass of milk, and another glass containing cranberry juice. After putting on Gerard’s bib, Frank grabbed the glass of milk, bringing it to Gerard’s lips.

“Here, Gee. Take a sip,” Frank said as Gerard looked at him blankly. After a minute of Gerard staring at his milk, he took a few small sips of it. Frank smiled at him as he set the glass down, getting Gerard a forkful of his food. “Good job, babe,”

Frank decided to start telling Gerard where he left off. It was at around this time in the story where things got more interesting. He couldn’t wait to tell it all to his husband.

“I’ll continue where I left off. Things get really good, baby,” Frank said.

_ _ _  
After Frank got out of last period gym class, he took the school bus home and showered to get all the sweat off him from running in PE. After that, he styled his hair again and decided to pick out some fairly nice looking clothes, which consisted of a gray button up shirt, a black tie, and black dress pants with a belt, as well as some leather shoes. When he went back to his room, he checked his phone to see if Gerard texted him, which he did. It read that he needed to know his address so he can pick him up. Frank texted him back, giving him just that. After that, Gerard replied, saying thank you, and that he will see him soon, complete with a winky face emoticon. Frank smiled, barely able to contain himself from how giddy he is to go on his first date with someone like Gerard. Gerard said in his last text that he’ll be at Frank’s house in about fifteen minutes, so Frank knew he had to be ready at the door for the sake of good etiquette. He headed downstairs and sat down in the living room. Thankfully, both his parents were still at work, so they wouldn’t see Frank dressed so nice and start asking questions about why he’s dressed that way. He was going on his first date...with another man. Frank was afraid of how his parents would react to finding out that their son was gay. But Frank decided to put those lingering thoughts on the backburner for now.

After a little time passed, Frank walked out the front door and locked it with the house key he was given. Soon enough, a black current year model BMW pulled up to the driveway. Frank deeply breathed in and out, feeling himself become flustered and excited. He walked to Gerard’s car and got inside. When he saw Gerard in the driver’s seat, Frank nearly felt himself faint from how hot Gerard looked. His long jet black hair was neatly done, and he was wearing a white button down shirt with a black tie, as well as black dress pants and leather shoes, much like Frank’s outfit. Gerard looked so damn good, Frank said to himself. Really damn good…

“Hey, look at you. Looking good, hot stuff,” Gerard said suggestively as he pulled out of the driveway.

“You look good too,” Frank replied shakily. He swore he felt his heart in his chest race. This was really happening…

“Hey, you need to relax, Frank. You are so hot and bothered,” Gerard laughed as he turned up the radio, which played an artist that Frank wasn’t familiar with.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I never really been on a date before. What band is this?” Frank asked.

“It’s Morrissey. This song is called Suedehead,” Gerard replied. Frank realized that he kinda liked this song. He made a note to himself to check out more of Morrissey’s music.

“Oh, nice. So what are we gonna do?”

“I’m gonna take us somewhere to eat. I know a really good Italian restaurant. You don’t have to worry about paying for anything. I’m financially loaded. One of the perks of coming from wealthy parents that gives you an allowance. You have any food allergies?”

“Nah, I don’t. I love Italian food. Me and my family are Italian,” Frank said.

“I’m part Italian too. I’m also part Scottish,”

“That’s cool. You seriously look really good, Gerard,”

“Hey, I’m the one that should be saying that to you!” Gerard laughed. After hearing what he said, Frank started to blush even more as he smiled, looking down as he twindled his fingers. Gerard quickly took note of this and smirked in a flirty fashion. “You’re so cute when you’re like that, Frank,”

“Stop it, Gerard. I just can’t help it. It’s like…,” Frank said, uncertain how to properly describe how this all really felt. He wanted to describe it with the perfect words.

“Like what?” Gerard asked.

“It’s...it’s like being on Mars,” Frank laughed, still blushing.

“Mars? Damn, Frank. It’s just a dinner date, not a trip to the Bahamas,” Gerard replied, laughing back. “We’re gonna be at the place soon. Be prepared. This place reeks of money,”

“How can your family even afford stuff like that?” Frank asked out of curiosity.

“Well, that’s what happens when both your parents are CEOs of big companies. My mom is the CEO of a pharmaceutical one, while my dad is one of a book publishing company,” Gerard boasted. “What about your parents? What do they do?”

“Well, my mom is a banker, and my dad is a doctor. He’s a gynecologist,” Frank replied. He knew that both his parents have jobs that bring in a good amount of money, but he also knew it was nowhere near as much money as the amount Gerard’s parents were lucky enough to earn.  
“You’re dad’s a gynecologist?” Gerard snorted. “So he looks up people’s vaginas for a living?”  
“Pretty much, yeah,” Frank laughed.

“Well, at least he’s getting paid to look at a lot of pussy. I’m sure many straight guys would take a job like that like lightning. Does your dad...you know…,” Gerard said, his voice trailing off as he went silent.

“What?” Frank asked. Gerard only responded by licking two of his fingers, exchanging Frank a mischievous look. When Frank when saw what Gerard just did, he couldn’t help but laugh harder.

“Does he lick up the leftovers?” Gerard asked playfully.

“No, he doesn’t,” Frank replied.

“Well, I’m not craving vaginas anyway. I never do, because as you may already know, I’m not straight. I’m craving Italian food,” Gerard said as he pulled his car into the parking lot of Bambina’s. When Frank got one look at the restaurant, he knew Gerard wasn’t kidding about what he said earlier. It looked more like a really nice house than it did a place to eat. Frank couldn’t even begin to imagine how nice the interior looked. Gerard turned to him after he shut off the engine. He smirked.

“Well, I guess we should go inside now, yeah?” Frank asked.  
“Yeah, no shit. I’m starving. If I go long enough without food, I’ll probably end up eating the condiments instead,” Gerard laughed. “Come on, let’s go,”

Together, Frank and Gerard got out of the car and headed inside. As Gerard walked up to the hostess to request a table, Frank looked around the vicinity. There are many high quality paintings on the walls, classical music playing, and even a medium sized fountain in the center of the spacious restaurant. Frank hasn’t recalled being in a restaurant this nice in a while, but now that he’s at one with someone he really likes, he couldn’t be happier.

“Follow me. I’ll take the both of you to your table,” the hostess said, grabbing two menus and walking Frank and Gerard to the back of the restaurant to an empty booth. Both Frank and Gerard sat across from each other, and the hostess set down the menus for them, then walked away. Gerard immediately picked up his menu, browsing through the choices. Frank couldn’t help but notice the small white candle that was lit, sitting in the center of the table. He thought it was something good to add a little extra razzle dazzle to the overall romantic aura.

“Well, Frank...are you gonna look and see what’s on the menu, or are you gonna eat that candle?” Gerard smirked.

“No, I’ll look,” Frank laughed. He picked up his menu and browsed through the dishes. It wasn’t long before Frank was uncertain of what to get. He was deciding between the mushroom ravioli or the braised beef tortellini. He knew what he wanted to drink, at least; he decided to just stick with getting water.

“Anything stand out to you?” Gerard asked.

“I was thinking of either the mushroom ravioli or the braised beef tortellini. I can’t decide, though. They both look really good,” Frank replied.

“Really? Both of those are like, two of the best dishes here. I was thinking about getting the tortellini,” Gerard said, running a hand through his long jet black hair. Frank began to wish he could run his hands through Gerard’s luscious hair. He could only hope.

“I’ll get the ravioli then. I’ll take your word for it,” Frank said, setting down his menu. At that moment, a waitress with blonde hair and hoop earrings walked up to Frank and Gerard, holding a notepad for taking orders.

“Hello, I’m Candace. Can I start you guys off with something to drink?” she asked.

“Pellegrino. You?” Gerard said, looking over at Frank.

“Water for me too,” Frank added.

“Alright, I’ll be right back,” Candace said before walking off. Gerard continued to look at Frank, who blushed a little as he shyly looked down.

“You’re so shy, Frank. It’s really cute,” Gerard smiled.

“Yeah, I’m just nervous around new people. I’m also nervous about dates, because I’ve never really been on any,” Frank said, which was true. He hadn’t been on many dates, but Frank knew this because he’s only a freshman, which is usually the time people his age start dating. Frank believed that relationships in middle school don’t count, because he thought that when someone is in middle school, they shouldn’t be worried about finding a partner, because they’re too young and don’t know how relationships work at that age.

“Well, that’s alright. It’s never too late to go on dates, even when you’re an old fart,” Gerard laughed a little.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Frank said, taking another good look at the restaurant he and Gerard are in. He just couldn’t get over how nice the place looked at all. “It’s really beautiful here. Thanks for taking me here,”

“Hey, you know what’s more beautiful than this place?” Gerard asked, smirking seductively.

“What?”

“You. You’re beautiful,”

Frank looked down at his lap, blushing even more as he smiled. He knew at that moment that he wanted this whole thing between him and Gerard to work. Never has Frank been around someone so amazingly beautiful and genuine. He wanted to get somewhere far from him, and he held that wish close so close to him.

“Thank you, Gerard,” Frank said shyly. At that moment, Candace came back with the glasses of water for Frank and Gerard, setting them down.

“Thank you,” Gerard said, taking a sip of his mineral water.

“You’re welcome. Are you guys ready to order?” Candace asked.

“Yes, we are. I’ll have the braised beef tortellini,” Gerard replied as Candace wrote down his order, then she turned to Frank.

“I’ll have the mushroom ravioli,” Frank said.

“Alright. The both of you picked really good dishes here, like two of our best,” Candace said as she wrote down Frank’s order.

“That’s what I told Frank here. I’ve been here enough times to know which dishes here are to die for,” Gerard replied.

“That’s great. Do you guys want anything else?” Candace asked.

“No, that’ll be all,” Gerard said, handing his and Frank’s menus to Candace, who grabbed them from him.

“Alright, I’ll be out with your food when it’s ready,” Candace said as she walked off. Gerard focused his eyes back at Frank, who looked right back at him as he took another sip of his mineral water.

“Look at you drinking fancy mineral water,” Frank laughed a little.

“Hey, I like that fancy stuff. That’s what happens when you come from a rich family,” Gerard shrugged.

“Figures. So, since you’ve been going to our school for a while, how do you like it?” Frank asked in an attempt to break the ice some more while conversing with Gerard, the man he wants to get to know as much as possible.

“Honestly, I hate it. When a lot of people at school caught wind of me being gay, some of them didn’t take it to well, and some went as far as bullying me. I mean, we both go to a religious school. But I never let it bother me, honestly. They can all suck it,” Gerard explained. “Like, it’s not anyone’s business who I choose to date, you know?”

“For sure. My parents don’t know that I’m gay yet. I’m kinda scared how they’ll react if I told them. I’m sure they won’t react to it too bad. My parents have never really had a problem with guys liking other guys and girls liking other girls, so hopefully they’ll accept the fact that I’m just not into women,” Frank replied. He really did hope his parents would welcome the fact that their son is gay with open arms. It would be a real shame if they didn’t, he thought. Frank told himself that he wouldn’t know what to do if that’s what happened. With the way Frank presents himself, he figured that maybe that would give him being gay away to them.

“My parents don’t know either. I know for sure they won’t take the news well if I were to tell them. My brother Mikey already knows, and thankfully, he doesn’t have a problem with it at all. When I told him, I told him to keep it as our secret, and he did. I mean, Ray already knows too, but he also doesn’t mind. Mikey even told me once that I’m still his brother no matter who I like,” Gerard smiled.

“That’s awesome, Gerard. At least Mikey’s got your back,” Frank said. He suddenly began to think of Gerard’s younger brother, and why he’s so unbelievably skinny. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask Gerard why this is. “About your brother, um...he’s really thin. Like...too thin,” he asked.

“Well, Frank...there’s kinda a personal story behind that. I can tell you, but you gotta promise me that you do not tell anyone about this, okay?” Gerard said, concern laced in his voice.

“I won’t tell a soul,” Frank shook his head as he drank his water.

“Okay, good. Well, you see...Mikey has a self-image problem. He’s anorexic,” Gerard frowned.

“What? Are you serious? Damn, I’m sorry. That must be rough for you guys,” Frank said, feeling genuine remorse for Mikey and his family. He somewhat knew that was the case, but he didn’t want to be quick to judge.

“Yeah, me and my parents have been trying really hard for a long time to get him to eat more, but he just won’t budge. Mikey can’t even look at himself in the mirror without crying. He’s even worse when there’s a lot of food in front of him. The most he’ll eat each day is a couple of saltines and water. I’m really concerned for him, which is obvious. He’s been doing this for a good two years now. He was never even fat to begin with. He just has a very warped image of himself, really,” Gerard explained. “My parents are looking into placing Mikey in a residential treatment center for teens with eating disorders. If he ends up going to one, I really hope he gets the help he needs. I’m very worried about him,”

“You should be worried. He could die if he keeps doing what he’s doing,” Frank said.

“I know, and that scares the living shit outta me. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s not only my brother, he’s my best friend,” Gerard replied, his expression still full of discontent.

“Well, the best you can do is be there for him and continue trying to help him. It seems like you’ve been trying your hardest,”

“I have been. He just won’t fucking eat, though. There have even been times where he was on the verge of passing out from going on without enough food in his system for a long time. You’d think that would get him to stop, but it didn’t,”

“I’m really sorry. I guess the best thing to do at this point is to keep trying,” Frank said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Gerard shrugged. At that moment, Candace returned to Frank and Gerard’s table, their food with her. She set the dishes in front of them, each of them to the right person.

“Do you guys need anything before I go?” Candace asked.

“No, we’re good. Thanks,” Gerard said as he grabbed his fork.

“Alright. Enjoy,” Candace said as she walked away. Frank looked down at his plate of food. It looked so ridiculously good, and it smelled that way too. Gerard’s dish looked really appealing too.

“Well, let’s dig in,” Gerard said, grabbing a forkful of his tortellini. Frank picked up a ravioli with his fork and put it in his mouth. It was a perfect mixture of tomato sauce, dough, and mushrooms, as well as some herbs for that extra special touch. It was fucking delicious.

“Oh my god, this is so good,” Frank said as he chewed his food.

“Told ya, Frank,” Gerard said as he ate.  
“Seriously, I love this. How have I not heard of this place before? Not that I’d be able to afford eating here anyway,” Frank laughed.

“Yeah, well, this is what happens when you have a lot of money, as I’ve said before. If you and I get to know each other better, which I hope we do, more of this type of stuff will be yet to come,” Gerard smiled suggestively, making Frank blush profusely. He hoped that this was so. He really wanted to know all he could about Gerard, and hopefully start a wonderful relationship with him that has so many great memories. He just hoped that Gerard liked him enough to want to pursue a relationship. Frank couldn’t afford to get his hopes up too high just yet. It’s only their first date, after all.

Soon enough, Frank and Gerard finished up their food as they made small talk. Gerard paid the bill, and they headed out back to Gerard’s BMW. When they got inside, Gerard started up the engine, and he backed out of the parking lot and back on the roads.

“So, Frank...what do you wanna do now?” Gerard asked. “The night’s still young. We can do whatever you want,”

“Oh, um...I’m not sure what there is to do,” Frank shrugged. He figured that Gerard would just take Frank out to dinner, then bring him home. It wasn’t that Frank didn’t want to spend more time with Gerard; he just figured that it was just a dinner date, and nothing more. But Frank was stumped. He didn’t know how else to spend his and Gerard’s time.

“That’s alright. I know what we can do. We can just watch a movie back at my place, if you’re up for that. My parents are chill with me bringing people over,” Gerard said.

“Oh, alright. What movie will we watch?” Frank asked.

“I think we’ll decide when we get there. I’ll let you pick. I have a lot of DVDs,” Gerard replied. He then looked over at Frank, a flirtatious smirk on his face. “You know something, Frank?”

“What’s that?” Frank asked.

“I’m really happy that I got the chance to spend time with you, and I really hope we can do this more. I do think you’re a really interesting person, Frank,” Gerard admitted, making Frank feel hot and bothered. He couldn’t help but smile again, looking down at his lap. Gerard definitely liked him back, and that was clear as day. He just hoped he was right.

_ _ _  
Gerard’s food was all gone when Frank finished feeding him. Frank checked the time on his phone, which said that it’s now a little past seven. Frank looked out the window, seeing that the sun is almost gone. That could only mean one thing, and that was that Gerard was prone to sundowning, since that usually happens. Frank just hoped it wouldn’t happen.

“Don’t worry, Gerard. There’s more to tell. Things get even better. I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you,” Frank told his husband, who didn’t reply; he just stared off into space, like the usual.

Suddenly, Gerard grabbed the armrests of his chair, shaking as he struggled to stand up, but it wasn’t long before he regained his balance, making his way up to his feet. Frank immediately sprung into action, trying to get Gerard to sit back down so that he doesn’t end up falling since he’s at risk for that, knowing his condition.

“Babe, sit down,” Frank told him. Gerard didn’t listen, though. He continued to stand there, trembling where he stood, ready to lose his balance at any given moment. Panicking, Frank grabbed Gerard’s shoulders to nudge him to sit down, but felt his stomach sink when Gerard flashed him a look of anger. Frank knew at that moment that he was right about Gerard sundowning, and he had to act fast to get Gerard to calm down.

“Baby, you’re gonna hurt yourself. You gotta sit down,” he said calmly. He felt himself fall back when Gerard shoved him hardly, grumbling as he did. Frank’s anxiety deepened, and he was left unsure what to do. “Gerard, don’t do that. That’s not nice,”

“Fuck you!” Gerard yelled, making heads around him and Frank turn to stare at them. Frank felt a little hurt that Gerard would say something so derogatory to him, but he knew it wasn’t him talking, but rather the disease.

“Calm down, Gerard. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Frank said. He gasped when he saw Gerard lose his balance, starting to stumble to the ground. Thankfully, he was close to Frank, who stopped Gerard from falling, grabbing his body. In his grasp, he could hear Gerard scream with fear, panting heavily. Frank helped Gerard back into his chair gently, and after he did, he bent down to face the man he just saved from falling, who still looked fearful and full of anxiety.

“You’re okay, hun. You didn’t get hurt again, which is good,” Frank said as he put his hands in his pockets. He suddenly felt something in his left pocket, like something that was paper. He pulled it out, and his eyes widened a little when he saw what it was--a photo of him and Gerard holding each other during their better days, before Gerard was sent to Cadbury Springs. Frank figured he’d show this photo to his husband to remind him of a good memory. “Look, Gerard. It’s us,” he said, holding up the photo to Gerard, who looked at it silently. Suddenly, Gerard began to reach for the photo, putting it in his shaking hand. Frank smiled as he let Gerard take it. His smile quickly faded when he suddenly heard Gerard begin to cry as he held the picture, his whole body shaking. He didn’t just cry softly; Gerard was weeping loudly. Frank felt his heart sink seeing him like this.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry. It’s a happy memory,” Frank said before he held Gerard close to him in a warm and loving embrace. Gerard continued to cry as Frank held him, and Frank decided to let Gerard let it all out. He really didn’t know why Gerard would start crying out of nowhere, unless it was just a result of his sundowning. Whatever reason Gerard was crying, Frank was still there for him.

Gerard’s cries soon became reduced to sniffles, and Frank kept holding him. He looked at him in the eye, kissing him on the lips.

“You can keep that picture. You can look at it to remind yourself of me,” Frank said. After Frank kissed Gerard, he was pretty much done crying, much to Frank’s relief. Frank knew he had to get going soon. He was really tired after all that happened today, and he also had to hok up the video camera to find out who’s been hurting his vulnerable husband. He decided to see Gerard everyday after work, and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays since he’s off work those days. It was going to be hard for him to say goodbye to Gerard, knowing that he could get hurt again. But if Frank finds the culprit, he will definitely take action, and after that, no one will ever hurt Gerard again.

Frank got up and unlocked the wheels for Gerard’s chair, wheeling him in front of the TV, then locking the wheels again. He bent down to face him, giving him a warm smile.  
“I gotta go, babe. I’ll be back tomorrow after work, okay?” Frank said, stroking Gerard’s long hair. “If you ever start to miss me, just look at that picture. I know it’ll put a smile on your face,”

“Don’t...leave me,” Gerard said shakily, a look of sadness on his face. Frank couldn’t help but frown. This was always the hardest part of seeing Gerard, and he could see the genuinely see that Gerard wanted him to stay. As much as Frank would love to be around Gerard 24/7, he had to get going. He was really tired, and he had to find out who’s been hurting Gerard.

“I’m sorry, but I gotta go. I promise I’ll be back. You be good for me, okay?” Frank said before giving Gerard another kiss. He then got up to his feet, smiling at him one last time. “Bye bye, Gee. See you tomorrow,”

Frank walked away from Gerard, who he swore was still looking at him as he walked further away from him. Frank couldn’t help but feel sad, like what always happens when he leaves Gerard for the day. He walked to Gerard’s room, grabbing the camera in it’s box out of the closet, where he last left it. After opening it up and reading the instructions, Frank set it up, placing the camera behind a framed photo of him and Gerard at their wedding, where they exchanged their vows and swore to love each other til death did them part. When the red light lit up on the camera, indicating that it’s on, Frank got up and left the room, keeping the box and instructions for further reference. He got in the elevator, making his way to his car. He hoped to soon find out who’s been hurting the man that he’s loved for so long. Gerard had to be protected at all costs.


End file.
